Seat mounting for theater chairs or the like



Jan. 15, 1952 w. E. NORDMARK SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THELIKE 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1949 m m m m Jan. 15, 1952 w NORDMARK2,582,600

SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE .Filed Jan. 5, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. Wit??? 2 E. jvbrdmark Patented Jan. 15, I 1952SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIR OR THE LIKE! Walter E. Nordmark, GrandRapids, Mich, as signor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids,Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 5, 1949, SerialNo. 69,396

1 o I The present invention relates to seat mountings and moreparticularly to mountings for the seats of chairs adapted forinstallation in rows in theatres, auditoriums and the like.- Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application SerialNo. 766,500, filed August 6, 1947.

The primary objects of this invention are to provide improved means formounting seats of the theatre type between spaced, upright,chairsupporting standards; to provide improved seat mountings forturnably connecting the seat to the standards so that it may be loweredto a nearly horizontal position for occupancy or raised to a nearlyvertical position as when the occupant rises to permit others to pass infront of him; to provide such seat mountings whereby the'seat isnormally caused to assume an intermediate or neutral position betweenits fully raised and fully lowered positions, so that all of the seatsin an unoccupied theatre will normally automatically assume the sameangular position and thus present a uniform and attractive appearance;to provide such seat mountings which are adaptable for use in eitherstraight or curved rows of chairs, and which include compensating meansfor slight errors in the positions of the supporting standards; toprovide seat mountings the partsof which are economical to manufacture,to assemble and to install in a theatre or other desired place, andwhich when assembled in a chair structure are readily accessible forreplacement or repair; and in general to provide a chair structure whichis sturdy in construction, effective in use and attractive inappearance.

The invention is illustrated in one embodiment thereof by theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a chair of the theatre typeinstalled between supporting standards each of which also supports oneside of an adjacent chair in a row thereof, the adjacent chairs beingshown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 22 of Figure 1,the seat being shown in its normal, neutral position in full lines, inits lowered position for occupancy in dottedv lines, and in its fullyraised position in broken lines;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section view through theseat foundation, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and illustrating theseat in its normal or neutral position intermediate its extreme loweredand raised positions;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective .view of the interior of the seatfoundation, the adjacent supporting standard, and theseat mountings by 1Claim. (Cl. 155-85) means of which the seat is mounted on saidsupporting standard, the seat being indicated in its extreme loweredposition for occupancy in this view;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional similar to Figure 4 butwith the seat indicated in its extreme raised position.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, a row of seating bestillustrated in Figure 1 is mounted upon spaced, upright,chair-supporting standards In which are preinstalled in a theatre or thelike and upon which are subsequently mounted chair backs II and chairseats l2. The standards ID are of the type known as middle standards,each serving as a common support for the adjacent sides of adjoiningchairs in a row and each being provided with a conventional arm rest B.In the present construction, the chair backs II are shown mounted onplates [4 which are secured in any conventional manner, as by bolts orrivets IE, to a pair of the standards I0. I

Each chair seat {2 comprises a seat cushion l6 removably mounted inconventional manner upon a sheet metal seat foundation or seat pan" [1,and the essence of the present invention resides in the seat mountingconnections between the seat pan I1 and the supporting standards In,whereby the following results are accomplished:

1. A support is provided for the weight of the seat and the occupant;

2. A pivot is provided about which the seat turns to raised and loweredpositions; I I

3. The seat is normally maintained in a neutral position between itsraised and lowered positions;

4. Stops are provided for the seat in its extreme raised and loweredpositions;

5. Provision is made for ready installation of the seats onpre-installed standards in either straight or curvedrrows; and

6. Lateral or horizontal adjustment is made to compensate for slighterrors in the spacings between standards.

The standards I!) are usually made of cast metal, and each standard isprovided with a horizontal web portion 20 having a vertical opening 2|therein. Seat brackets '22 comprise vertical portions 23 and horizontalportions 24 having horizontally elongated outwardlyopeuing vertical.the.bracket (see Figure 6).

26 for securing the brackets to the standard, and

the brackets being secured inrrequiredrhorizontally adjusted positionand in required angulariy adjusted position about the axis of. the. bolt26. It will be seen that the horizontai portionsfo'f the left hand seatbrackets are atgaj'sli'glitlylhighei" level than, and overlap, thehorizontal portions of the right hand seat brackfis so thatrthe.re-

mainders of the right hand and left hand brackets are at the same level.

Each seat bracket 22 provided with an annulartrurmion"28arid-a"str'fdZSbo'ch-of which are integrally castwiththe bracket and botlr erwnieh extend inwardly "from the vertical'portion fi" of The seatpan l'l is -turnaiily journalled 'on-the*mutually'-'inwardly-exten'ding'trunnions -28 'ofthebrackets-22'on-a' pair .of adjacent standards ID. The side walls 30 ofthe "seat pa-Ii H are provided with arcuate openings or slots 3|concentric with the trunniens 28, 'through'which slots-passthe= mutuallyinwardly extending studs 29. Reinforcing plates 32 see Figure 7)aresecured'asbywelding fl tothe inner "surfaces of "the seat pans sidewall 30 and are provided with bearing ppenings 'ml through which*extend-theztrunnions Z-B-yand-With' 'etherppenings 35'which'coincidewith the arcuate slots 3 I in'the seatpans "side walls'iil'; Thesemeinforcing "plates 732 have-inwardlypressed-'pockets 36 at-the'upper end bf'the' slots :3lfinto-which'pockets are in-"sertecrrub'ber cushion-'bumperstl. It'will 'be seen "that when t-heseat is inits=lowered-position for occupancy therubber cnshion bumperstPreston "the studs "29;'said studs thus serving as stops for thelowering movement of the*chair-seat and as supports for-the seat wherroccupied. The studs 29 also engage the opposite ends'ofthe slet 3| to"limit the upward swinging*-m'ovement-fif the seat from its*neutr'al*position shewn in Figure 8 -'to-its "extreme-raisedposit-ionsh'own in Figur 8.

cylindiically 'ceiled Spring B8*surrourids eaich trunnion '28. The"inner erfd"portimf w or this spring"-38= projects tangentially and inthe'neutral *position "ofthe seat' shown in' Figur-e 3 lcea-1-s againstthe underside or the a'djacent stud 29. The outer endpoitior-MO of thespring' til also pro- =j ects tangentially and -in the neutral pesitionof the seat bears against theuppersideoi the stud 2 9. The-pro5 ectingendportions flil -andi4 B ofithe spring 38 are de'sirablyyprovided withrubber 1185 an integrel-lly fer-med; cross-sectionally harmz45zand1thezstudEZQ. '.:Theiarmt451:being2thus:confined.:betweenatheespririg ssendsfiSrand and loeingn'igidlyiconnectedf to theziseat mamfit'l 'zth'e 4 seat is normallymaintained at the predetermined angle illustrated in Figure 3, and allof the seats in a row are thus maintained at a uniform angle ofinclination when unoccupied, notwithstanding 5 differences in theamounts of compression on the coil springs 38. g V

- When the seat is occupied'and thus turned by "the-weightpfthepccupantfrom its position illustrated in Figure 3 to its position illustrated in'10 Figure 4, the arm 45 carries the springs inner end ei'ted throughitsierid 40 on the arm 45 returns theseattoitsnormal, neutral position.Similarly, whenthe o-ccuparnt'rises and presses the seat fromeitsineutraL-zposition illustrated in Figure 3 to its extreme raisedposition illustrated in Figure 8, in order-t0" permit other theatrepatrons to pass in 20 front of him, the arm 45 carries the springs outer"end portion' 4 I upwardly outpflengagement with the stud'zsandthereafter when the-=occupantereleases the seat the springsnnwinding'"force ex- -erte'd through its endl l'on the -ar=mi555 r eturns '25"the-*seattto its-normal, neutral position.

. L-I'n ithe1zmanilfacture iof szth-el chairs the seat mountingsincluding the brackets 22 are.preferablyrassembleduto'zthe iseat zat:thei factory. -The ziboltszezii andznutsz l filielailsO assembledlooseiy, to ithe standards time thefactory. ,al'l heiinstallaition.comprisesipreeinstallmgfthesstandartls l lliiri atheatre;;anditheneafterzmonntingsitheebacks'on ithe; standard -a asshown; and; meunting-itherseats ..on :the :standards .;in':properly;iadj nsted :position's :by. :"inserting :the: horizontal; portionszgzd pf:zthe brackets-:hetweeh sthe mite-2.11amdithe-- standards 1 horizontalewebs Zllzrsozthat :the; bolts s-zfiiare' resceivedzini'themitwardlyopeningsslotsififizofzthe ;-;brackets; and ztightening the nuts' zlronthezbolts 4G (:26.

;Iiawillitlms be:seenathatitheiinventionepmvides..a;.seat;:mounting;means;comprisingsa -numb.er oftpar-tsrfomperfmmingzthe:desired func-:tions:hereinbefore.describedxandzwhilezbutsone 1, specificembodimenteoftthe invention. has .rbeen herein shown and described; it.WiHtbB understood .that numerous details OfEt'hB.00I1S'tl'l10ti0ll5ShOWD =may .bealteredpr omitted; without.vdepartingifrom theispiritgofr the inventionxraswthe zsame issdefinedsbythefzollowing claim.

Irclaim a chainstructure 2. 3.3231! of-istandards; ase'at ebracketzmounted onrea-ch standard :trnnnions. on -sai'd brackets :extending.mutually.=iinward;1y ;;;-;:a

seat havingrits(opposite sidewalls;-fiaournalledvon :said ;tnunnions.andone-.oflsaidEs-ide; walls having:an--areuate.slotstherethrough'rconcentricz withatheaadjacenttrunnion;taistudaonatheadjacentzbracket .-extending inward-1ythrough-lsaidslot and adapted stoien'gagethe zen'ds :of. the :slot f orlimiting swinging *movements ofithe seat on the trunnicns to po'sitionswherein the seat is lowered for occupancy or" raised for -non--ecoupancya cylindrical coil -spring-surrounding sa-i'd: trunnionand'having itsopposite "end-portions projectingtangentially to mermally press againsto-pposite Sidesofisaidrstud;

a plate secured to said-sidewall of--the-seat-antl 1 having a bearingiopeni-ngthroughwhich passes trunnion" andrano'ther -opening coinciding-'withfthe"arcuate slot in saidsi'de wall, sai'd'plate havingamortionthereorfianged "laterallyto' form an arm omtheseatextendinginwardlybetweeh the projecting'efidportionspfsaid coil spring and-normally confined trierebetween for maintaining T the-e seat in ameutral position mtermediate lowered and raised positions, said springsend UNITED STATES PATENTS portions being respectively yieldable to movewlth said arm during the respective manual raising and Number Name Datelowering movements of the seat and being respec- 531583 Bennett 1894tively adapted to 'press against said arm on ep- 5 13871240 Hanson 3,1932 posite sides thereof for returning the arm and the seat to theirneutral positions. FOREIGN PATENTS WALTER E. NORDMARK. Number CountryDate 439,312 Germany Jan. 8, 1927 REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

